Re: fork oil leak
 

Don't think that they are "common" (mine are fine after two plus years) but many of the bikes on here are more than a few years old and it's probably something that occurs more often on the older bikes.

Re: fork oil leak
 

We haven't heard much about it here.
Not keeping the fork tubes clean can make them fail faster.

Re: fork oil leak
 

ok so i've bought the seals on ebay and oil . have ethier of you guys been able to replace them . and whats this copper gasket you speak of

Re: fork oil leak
 

Exactly that. A copper gasket. The old gaskets may be deformed so new would be the way to go.

Re: fork oil leak
 

The copper gasket is under the bolt on the bottom of the shock,and should be replaced to prevent leakage.It is similar to the copper gasket used on brakes.
:cool: :)

Re: fork oil leak
 

Help! I'm in the middle of tearing down my forks and I've got a puzzle. I'm trying to get the bottom bolt out (the one with the copper gasket) and it's just spinning. Looking down the inner tube I can see the damper rod spinning with it. How do you get this out?

I've got this situation on both forks. On the first one I was able to get the seal out but I'm wondering if leaving the damper rod in place is not correct and impeding removal of the seal.

Any insights??

Re: fork oil leak
 

you need to loosen the bottom bolt first,before disassemble, so the rod can't spin.
:) :cool:

Re: fork oil leak
 

Thanks Blaine! That's easy.

Re: fork oil leak
 

I'm in trouble again, Blaine. I put the fork back together and this put some pressure on the rod, and the bolt is harder to turn, but it still spins. I can put more pressure on the rod if I find a way to compress the fork and hold it there while I try to turn the screw.... Or, I can take the spring out again and press a dowel down there onto the rod to try to hold it, but having never seen these parts I don't know what I'm going to damage.... Any ideas?

Re: fork oil leak
 

You may need to give it a good "snap" to get it to loosen,rather than steady pressure.If they are that tight a impact gun or air ratchet will save you a lot of grief.The last thing you want is to strip the heads of the bolt.Hope this helps.
:) :cool: